LAHORE: A tragic boat accident off the coast of Morocco has claimed the lives of 13 Pakistani nationals, whose identities have now been officially confirmed by diplomatic sources.
The deceased individuals, verified through the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), are as follows:
- Sufyan Ali (son of Javed Iqbal) – Passport No. VF1812352
- Sajjad Ali (son of Muhammad Nawaz) – Passport No. XX1836111
- Rais Afzal (son of Muhammad Afzal) – Passport No. MJ1516091
- Qasnain Haider (son of Muhammad Banaras) – Passport No. AA6421773
- Muhammad Waqas (son of Sanaullah) – Passport No. DJ6315471
- Muhammad Akram (son of Ghulam Rasool) – Passport No. DN0151754
- Muhammad Arsalan Khan (son of Ramzan Khan) – Passport No. LM4153261
- Hamid Shabbir (son of Ghulam Shabbir) – Passport No. CZ5133683
- Qaiser Iqbal (son of Muhammad Iqbal) – Passport No. GR1331413
- Danish Rehman (son of Muhammad Nawaz) – Passport No. SE9154371
- Muhammad Sajawal (son of Rahim Deen) – Passport No. AY5593661
- Shehzad Ahmed (son of Wilayat Hussain) – Passport No. GN1162802
- Ehtesham (son of Tariq Mehmood) – Passport No. CE1170122
On January 15, initial reports indicated that 44 Pakistani nationals were feared dead. However, local authorities were able to recover only 13 bodies, which were initially unidentifiable due to the lack of documentation. Fingerprints and photographs of the deceased were shared with NADRA for verification, leading to confirmation of their identities.
The Pakistani embassy in Morocco, working closely with local authorities, has compiled an official list of the deceased and is preparing to facilitate the repatriation of their remains to Pakistan.
Seven Pakistani survivors of the tragedy—Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Abbas, Mudassar Hussain, Imran Iqbal, Uzair Basharat, Shoaib Zafar, and Aamir Ali—were recently repatriated. Upon arrival at Islamabad Airport, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) took the survivors into custody for questioning.
Survivors detailed harrowing experiences, including brutal torture by human traffickers and a lack of adequate food and water during the journey. According to their accounts, 21 Pakistani nationals were allowed to board the boat after paying ransom to the traffickers. Most victims reportedly succumbed to severe cold and maltreatment.
The survivors identified the traffickers as part of an international human trafficking racket involving agents from Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco.
The Pakistani government has expressed deep concern over the incident and vowed to take stringent action against those involved in facilitating illegal migration. Authorities are expanding investigations based on information provided by the survivors to dismantle the trafficking network responsible for the tragedy.
This incident highlights the grave dangers associated with illegal migration and the urgent need for international cooperation to combat human trafficking.
